Lakeville clerk-treasurer turns self in

Town residents register shock, dismay at case.

Town residents register shock, dismay at case.

LAKEVILLE -- Lakeville's clerk-treasurer has turned himself in to police and is booked into the St. Joseph County Jail. Casey Grove, 30, was wanted on a warrant for failing to appear at his Oct. 26 arraignment on charges of felony residential entry and misdemeanor battery. Grove was being held without bond, a jail official said. He surrendered to police Monday night. Prosecutors say Grove attacked his 20-year-old girlfriend Oct. 22 after finding her in bed with another man at the man's South Bend home. Lakeville Town Marshal Bill Boyer II previously said officers found three different kinds of illegal drugs and paraphernalia in Grove's apartment, but prosecutors have yet to file charges related to the drugs. Boyer has also refused to go into detail about the type of drugs found, nor release police log information to The Tribune required under state public access law despite repeated requests. The unfolding drama surrounding the town treasurer has bewildered many Lakeville residents. Denny Hardy, who owns Hardy's Body Shop next to Grove's Lakeville apartment, said Tuesday he never would have expected Grove to stray from the law. "I was very surprised," Hardy said. "I would've never guessed that of him." Hardy said Grove was quiet and never had much company at his apartment. The neighbors usually spoke in passing but never said much. Grove had lived in Lakeville for only a few years, Hardy said. Mary Parmelee, who owns a gift and apparel shop down the road from Grove, was also shocked at the news of Grove's arrest and charges. But Parmelee added that she believed Grove snapped after a rough year. "What we knew of him, he was a nice guy going through a rough time," Parmelee said Tuesday. "It's so sad." Hardy and Parmelee were both glad to learn Grove had turned himself in, but Hardy stressed that the primary worry for residents is now the town's money. "I think everyone's concern is bills that haven't been paid," Hardy said. "My real concern is if town funds might be missing." At the Lakeville Town Council's request, State Board of Accounts examiners planned to start auditing the town's books today. Town Council President John Kuhn previously confirmed that Grove as clerk-treasurer had access to a town credit card, but he declined to say whether any unauthorized charges had surfaced. Kuhn said it appears the town has a "backlog" of unpaid bills, but he did not yet know how extensive the backlog is or to what extent it might be connected to Grove's recent arrest. Staff writer Jeff Parrott: jparrott@sbtinfo.com (574) 235-6320